Margie Joseph was a popular soul singer from the American South, people often comparing her tone to a honey dipped Aretha Franklin. Her most praised body of work ranging from the early to mid seventies, but she had the misfortune of recording with a couple of labels in the late seventies and early eighties that went under, stifling her during that period. Apparently there is a set of master tapes out there of some sessions she did with Dexter Wansel that have never seen light of day(!), but fortunately HCRC managed to get her album 'Knockout' pressed, as well as a single 'Move To The Groove' before going belly up. Great punchy synths on these, classy production and vocals, lots of uptempo dancefloor winners, all the good things I like.

Margie had further success later on with a return in 1988, and produced a few more r'n'b charting hits before finally moving out of mainstream popular music to concentrate on her career and family (she had already quit for a while earlier in the seventies to attend college and take a job teaching). I think she still makes gospel and records religious music down in Mississippi:

This groovy track has a lot going on. It is pure synth boogie mixed with proto garage flavor. It came out on Salsoul records in 1984 and it was produced by Randy Muller from Brass Construction and Skyy. I like that this vocal version has starts out giving you the woman's perspective in a deva-esque delivery and then the man gives his rebuttal in a well executed rap.Funk Deluxe - This Time

Guitarist/Vocalist Michael McGloiry released a pair of overlooked dollar bin disco jams in 1979 and 1980 respectively. I transcribed Michael's bio directly from the 12" label of his second release Won't You Let Me Be The One on Airwave Records:

Michael McGloiry is one of the busiest men on the music scene. He has been session guitarist for Switch, Leon Haywood, Jermaine Jackson, Ramsey Lewis and dozens of other acts. He has toured as lead guitarist for Lenny Williams and DJ Rogers. He has produced several records for Jermaine Jackson.

Born in Oakland California under the sign of Aries, Michael makes his home in Hollywood. After achieving some success as a solo artist with another label, Michael McGloiry's newest release on Airwave Records is destined to be a smash hit.

If you feel inclined to dig a bit deeper, Michael also has a few more classic images up on his facebook page.

Kim Tolliver is a storied and much loved and respected icon of the Northern Soul scene, and as such, Party Lights, the hard hitting electro boogie B side of her last ever 12" single is regarded by soul purists as an anomaly to be ignored and forgotten, tarnishing what is a highly regarded soul back catalogue. This a favorite quote taken from a Kim Tolliver fan site:

"Her final disc, in contrast, was a rather weak recut of “Let Them Talk”. It was coupled with the dreadful uptempo “Party Lights”, without doubt the worst song she ever recorded and totally out of character.

This was a rather sad way to conclude such a distinguished recording career."

Well, what can I say other than to each his own, as this is the only Kim Tolliver record I play, and little perhaps do some of these soul beards realize, but Kim Tolliver walked in to a new genre at the tail end of her career and laid down possibly the most punchy, sexually charged track that the modern boogie sound ever produced. It slams. Kim Tolliver faded into obscurity, never producing a hit, but going on to run a successful real estate business, eventually passing away in 2007. Party Lights lives on.

This is one of my favorite roller rink ready italo boogie jamz. In fact, it reminds me that I need to get some fresh bladez and shadez for the roller disco at Mezzanine at the end of the month. Digital Emotion was a Dutch italo group and this record came out on Break Records in 1983. This track is also called Get Up Action.Digital Emotion - Get Up, Do You Wanna Funk

I managed to drag myself out of bed this morning and ride my bike over to the other side of golden gate park for the KUSF record swap benefit. The sun was out and I had a little bread to spend, so I thought I would head over and scope it out, its all for a good cause and helps keep KUSF on the air, which in turn helps me mentally as when your stuck in the city with only an FM radio for entertainment there is only really whatever the nerd uni students are playing on KUSF or if your lucky the 'club classics' DJ might be spinning on meth head energy 92 whatever FM (but usually he isn't spinning, its some meth amphetamine abusing trance DJ). But anyway..

As per usual the popular myth of the deep pocketed black music record collector was blown away by their little known, less sexy counterpart, the aging, now middle aged and super wealthy, punk 45 collector. These guys spend serious scrilla on those angry sounding little records, without even a second thought or briefest attempt at negotiation. It was something to behold. I on the other hand, struck out for the most part, stupidly beguiled by the Achilles heal of many a disco hoarder, the 'still sealed' 'private press' 12" single. I have to remind myself sometimes that the reason that nobody has heard of some of these independent releases, and the reason they are still sealed, is not because of their rarity, its more often than not because they are shit.

I did pick up a few good ones though, and here are my favorites from today's stack. A proto house jam from Brian & Zan on sounds of new york records, a sick French disco funk classic from the strangely named Crystal Grass, and the instrumental flip of the Skyy hit Bad Boy.

APB were an early eighties post punk band from rural Scotland, from near the town of Ellon, so we are talking castles, lochs, monsters etc. Rural. A far cry from the New York club scene where APB's first independent, Aberdeen produced singles became sought after staples, unbeknown to the band until their eventual visit to the US east coast in 83/84 where they recorded an EP.

If you think their sound holds similarities to the media darling acts of circa '03, then no coincidence, they were really the unheralded fathers of modern 'indie dance' 'punk funk' (urgh, christ, I wrote that) or whatever else its called. More timeless in their sound I think than some of the other names that get put around.